Thought For Today - June
 

A Quiet Day

Shhh! Make today a quiet day. There's no need to retreat from the world. Carry on with your schedule as planned, just practice being quieter than normal. There's no need to stop talking, just talk less. By being quiet in your mind as well as in your interactions, you might just find yourself observing and accomplishing more. Being quiet might even fuel your creativity and clarity. If you enjoy your quiet day, then maybe practice 'a quiet day' weekly or monthly.

The Nature of Peace

Most of us find it easy to find peace in nature. Whether it's the waves on a beach, the green in the park, the rolling hills, the colors of a sunset....

But did you know that peace is your natural nature? Daily, remind yourself:
I am a being of peace. Think it, feel it, be it and you'll nurture your nature of peace.

Then, no matter where you are or what happens, you'll find inner peace.

Compete or Complement

Often when a group of people are working together, there's a tendency to compete with each other. This can enhance motivation but it can also weaken teamwork.

How about we learn to complement each other, rather than compete.

When we complement, the interplay of our diverse skills and expertise creates strength and synergy. This can enhance our ability to excel individually and compensate for each other's weaknesses.

Those Awkward Moments

We've all experienced awkward moments, falling in front of everyone, the silence after a bad joke, forgetting someone's name....

And when it happens, do you act like it didn't happen? Make fun of yourself? Cringe with embarrassment? Keep replaying the moment in your head?

How about recognizing the humor behind the awkward moment and laughing it off. Embrace awkwardness and you'll make the moment more enjoyable and easier to move on.

At Home in the Body

Think of the body as your home. Just as your home needs regular repairs, improvements and cleaning, in the same way, give the necessary time, attention and care to your body.

Visit the doctor, dentist, optician when you need to. Keep fit, eat well and nourish the body with healthy thoughts.

Be comfortable in your own skin and feel at home in your body. Why not, think about treating your body as you would your dream home.

Go Getter, Go Giver

It's good to be a go getter! But why not be a go giver as well as a go getter. Take action and make things happen, but at the same time, give.

Give what you want to give. Give your time, attention, ideas, knowledge, compassion, smile.... Give through your mind, words, actions, presence....

Just keep going, keep getting things done and keep giving.

Beyond the Surface

Most of the time, we skim over the surface without exploring what's below. So take time to look beyond the surface. See the people behind the structures; the intentions behind the actions. Look deeply to understand and respond wisely.

Spark Your Creativity

Creativity often gets buried under routine, responsibility and simple neglect. So the next time you’re in a creative rut, do something to find your spark again. Make time to delve into art. Visit a gallery, a studio, a museum; or look through art books, posters or photographs. Absorb the art, the colors, the contrasts, and spark your creativity.

Strengths Inventory

This week, make time to take an inventory of your strengths. List them.

Decide if you want to invest & further develop your strengths. Make sure you affirm & spend time in your strengths frequently.

When you know & work your strengths, you maximize their impact, contribute more value, & take better advantage of opportunities.

Attention to Distraction

When we're driving we have to pay attention to the road, the traffic, the route and all the different things happening around us. If we get distracted, then this affects how we drive and how we respond to the unexpected.

In the same way, at other times too, to respond to the unexpected and do things effectively:
1. Understand: Distractions are everywhere and will always be there. Getting
distracted is a choice.
2. Pay attention to what's happening around you and at the same time,
choose not to get distracted.

Trusting Each Other

In each other we trust, or do we? Trust is such an important element in our relationships, so examine if you really trust the people in your life.

If you want to trust others more, try to find a shared vision or something to appreciate about them. Choose to look for the good and see the best, and watch your trust grow.

Extend more trust. Be careful and cautious when caution is called for. Trust more sensibly.

Punctuate Your Thoughts

Putting your punctuation in the right place matters, right! Do you punctuate the thoughts in your mind?

Insert commas to separate & slow down your thoughts, question marks for contemplation & problem solving, exclamation marks to emphasize & accentuate, & most importantly, apply a full stop. Put a full stop to end any unnecessary & unproductive thoughts. Use a full stop to create closure when you go from one conversation, task, situation... to another.

Punctuate your thoughts & you'll develop better mastery over your mind.

Young at Heart

Feel young at heart? You've heard the saying, "you're only as old as you feel." Or even, "you're only as young as you feel."

No matter what age you are, here are 3 things to keep you feeling young at heart:
1. Embrace your age and the aging process.
2. Stay curious and keep learning something new.
3. Find something to laugh about in everything.

Take Up Courage

When we get disappointed and disheartened, we often stop and give up. That's when it's important to renew our courage and enthusiasm. This week, choose one thing that you've given up on that you would really like to take up once again. Hold onto courage, think "I am going to find a way to make things happen", and then create a plan and work on it. You'll find that one step of courage brings multifold help - from others and situations.

Be Punctual

Be punctual. To arrive early, or right on time, is a sign of respect for yourself and others. By being punctual you reduce your stress levels and avoid causing inconvenience to others. The key is planning. Allow extra time in your preparations and for any delays. Remember, getting ready, even locking the door, catching the lift, walking to the car, the tube… all takes time. Maybe, the secret to punctuality is as simple as waking up when you’re supposed to wake up!

Visualizing for Success

Just as many athletes and performers often do a complete mental run through of a routine or performance, in the same way, we too can use visualization for self-improvement, good health, goal setting, a successful outcome....

Visualize the details, the ambiance, the achievement. Visualize as frequently as you want and can. And each time you visualize, let it grow in strength.

Remember, the visualization does not guarantee success or replace taking action, but it does increase your focus, determination and confidence. And it's a better alternative than worry.

Note, not Tone of Criticism

Sometimes a criticism contains useful suggestions. But often we respond to the tone of the criticism, and not the suggestions.

Try this: Firstly, note down the criticism, in your own words. This helps us to separate the tone from the criticism. Secondly, note down the suggestions that seem useful or applicable to who you are and what you do. Then decide how to respond to the critic.

An Everyday Pilgrim

Pilgrimages may not be as common as they used to be but even today people go to places such as the Camino de Santiago, Mecca, Machu Picchu....

For some people, a pilgrimage is for religious purposes or for enlightenment. For some it's about taking on a challenge or taking stock. For some it's about having fun or enjoying a cultural experience.

Have you ever thought about embarking on a pilgrimage? Well, you can be a pilgrim everyday. Simply infuse your everyday life with depth and meaning and everyday life becomes a life-changing sacred journey.

Stop the Hesitation

Do you hesitate a lot? Even over simple things? Address your hesitation & understand what's making you hesitant, & why. Then give yourself a time limit to make up your mind.

Understand that most often, hesitation costs us time & opportunities. So stop hesitating & make the decision to just go for it or not. Or decide to postpone.

Healthy Distraction

Feeling stressed, worried, upset? Sometimes, but not always, what works well is distraction.

Distract yourself in a healthy way by doing something that interrupts and redirects your attention away from your stress, worries, and upsets. Read, listen, cook, watch, play, exercise, walk, sing, write....

Select a healthy distraction but try not to overdo the distraction. Once you've reduced the pressure and feel calm and refreshed, try to come up with a solution for your stress, worry, upset.

How to be with different people

Everyone’s different. The key is to adapt yourself to different people. This does not mean that you have to be someone you're not. To be able to adapt, you first need to know yourself well enough to understand a broad range of facets of yourself so that you can call up the right one with the right crowd.

The Thought Bank

Just as we pay attention to our bank balance, we also need to check the account of our thoughts. Thoughts are like currency. Think positively and you’ll increase your 'bank' balance. How do you spend your thoughts? Check how many thoughts are wasted and how many are used constructively. Invest your thoughts on the things you want to develop.

Take a Break

Take a break. It makes you more productive, boosts your focus, and it's good for your well being.

Schedule regular breaks in the day (not too many, not too long), maybe every hour or when you're in between tasks, for 30 seconds or 5-10 minutes.

This week, think about how to optimize your breaks and really relax, recover and rejuvenate.

People are your Mirrors

You may find that the qualities & personality traits you like or dislike in others are likely to also exist in you. Really? Yes, people really can be your mirrors. They really can reflect back at you what you need to see about yourself - the positives & the shortcomings. It's all more easily seen in others than in ourselves. So look in the mirror & see what the reflections tell you about yourself.

Your Personal Motto

Companies have mottoes, a phrase that communicates their product, their unique selling point in a catchy, snappy way. So what about you? Do you have a personal motto?

Having a personal motto can be a useful reminder of what's important, and it can help you keep your chin up when things are tough.

If you don't have a personal motto, develop one. Adapt an existing famous motto or create something original, something that captures and reflects who you are and what you believe. Place it somewhere you can see everyday.

Happiness in Achievement

A sense of achievement always makes us happy. But when happiness is in achievements, we tend to delay our happiness until we have achieved.

And when there is an achievement, do you allow yourself to enjoy the happiness? Or do you instantly have to reach for the next achievement?

Enjoy your achievements and reach for the next achievement. But at the same time, understand: Happiness is not in achievements. Happiness is in you. So don't delay your happiness. Be happy now.

Like the Rose

Just look at a rose, isn't it extraordinary how something so beautiful comes out from a hard, spiky stick, which grows out from the dirt! Actually, the thorns, the stems, the roots, enable the rose to flourish and grow in strength.

When life gets a bit thorny, a bit prickly, a bit muddy, remember how a rose grows. Allow life to cultivate your personal strength and growth. And then you too, can thrive and blossom like the rose.

Too Dependent on Technology?

Technology makes life easier, efficient and enjoyable! But do you get anxious when a particular technology is unavailable? If nothing was available, would you still be able to find your way? Make the best use of what's available. But if you feel you’re too dependent on technology and it's making you lazy (physically or mentally); know when to curb your use of technology.

From Caterpillar to Butterfly

Like a caterpillar crawling from leaf to leaf, we get too comfortable with the routine of our lives. We forget that we were born to be a butterfly. All we need to do is let go of our comfort zones, build a cocoon of transformation around ourselves and dream of our true colors. Like the butterfly, we too can emerge from the cocoon to the warm rays of the sun; unfold and spread our wings, and discover our capability for flight.

The Role of Familiarity

With the people we're really friendly and comfortable with, and with the people we spend a lot of time with, all too often our behavior becomes too familiar, and as a result, respect and basic manners gradually disappear.

This week, reflect and re-evaluate the role of familiarity in your relationships with family, friends and at work.

Remember, informality and appropriate familiarity has its place but so does maintaining respect and basic manners.